The French reading room
One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
C’était mon tour de réciter.
It was my turn to recite.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
J’en étais là de mes réflexions, quand j’entendis appeler mon nom.
I had got that far in my thoughts when I heard my name called.
What would I not have given to be able to say that famous rule for participles all the way through, good and loud, good and clear, without a single mistake! but I got muddled at the very first words, and I stayed standing there, swaying in my bench, my heart heavy, not daring to raise my head.
J’entendais M. Hamel qui me parlait :
I heard Monsieur Hamel speaking to me:
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| C | ce | this, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what |
| était | être | to be (v.); c’est — it is; also forms the past of some verbs: elle est venue — she came |
| mon | mon | my (mon, ma, mes) (poss. adj.) |
| tour | tour | turn (n., m.) |
| de | de | of, from; some, any (prep./partitive art.) — du pain, de l’eau; pas de — no, not any; de… en… — from… to… |
| réciter | réciter | to recite (v.) |
Read «La Dernière Classe» in the room Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. The whole tale is free and asks for no account.